Roll bushing



Oct. 17, 1961 s. GRAY 3,004,730

ROLL BUSHING Filed April 28, 1958 FIG.!

gig! i FIG. 5

ATTORNEYS United States Patent Ofiice 3,004,730 Patented. Oct: 17, 1.961

nois.

Filed Apr.- 28, 1958; Sal'- N0. 731,227 3 Claims. (Cl. 2421-685);

The present inventionv relates .to, improvements; in; roll bushings and a is of 1 particular value for. a convolute roll formed of a strip of paper or: other similar: stripjmateriaL Continuous lengths of [tape-likematerial such :as paper, with or. without :apcoating of adhesive; areagcnerallyproduced in the shape of a cylindrical roll of convolute form and having a circularsaperturerincidentalztoathei winding of the. strip orstape into:the1forrn of a-rolL,

Whetherthe. strip or tape-is tobe used in .atfa'ctory operationor. by. the ordinaryretailtcustomer; it: is ,;generally the practice to wind'thestripin such mannenthat-whether it is coated with an adhesive or not, alength: ofrthe strip may. be readily pulled off therroll without :too much difliculty. This necessarily requires that :the superposed 56011.- volutions of the tape-or stripwshould notvbezadhesively united to each other. When;a relatively small compressive force is applied to the outside surface of such a roll in a radial:or diametric direction, the.:ro1-l?will squash into an oval shapeand the initially circular aperture at the axis of the roll 'will also assumean-oval shape.

On account of .thefact that. paper ortape ofthetype referred to-is sold at-competitive;prices, it is not usually feasible to ship. each.roll..in..-a.separate container rigid enough to insure. againstdistortiont of, the shape. ofthe roll due to externally applied forces. Hence, when it is found that it is necessary to pack a number of such rolls in a singleboxer.cartonwhichrmay netLbe toosrigid; and where the rolls may be diametrically superposed above each other, many of the rolls when removed from the shipping container are found to have developed an oval or lopsided shape, both as to the exterior of the roll and also as to its central aperture. A roll which has been thus damaged in storage or in shipment is diflicult to handle because its outer surface is eccentric and also often because the central aperture has been deformed to such an extent as to reject a spindle of the proper diameter to fit the aperture.

Accordingly, it is the purpose of this invention to reinforce the freshly wound roll while it is in its original truly circular shape so that the shape of the same will not be significantly distorted between the time of manufacture of the roll and the time when it is used for its intended purpose. Preferably, the means employed for effecting such reinforcing should be relatively inexpensive compared with the savings effected by reason of such reinforcement, so that neither the manufacturer of the roll nor the user thereof need be concerned over the fact that the reinforcing element will be thrown away after it has served its purpose.

A further purpose of the invention is to provide an element which will not only reinforce the roll during the period between manufacture and ultimate use, but which will also serve as a means to reduce friction and thereby facilitate removal of the tape or strip from the roll when a length of strip is pulled off the roll as an incident to its ultimate use.

Preferably the reinforcing means to which the invention is directed takes the form of one or more disposable bushings which are forced into the eye or aperture of the roll in such manner, and are of such shape and material, that they are highly resistant to diametrically applied pressure. In certain cases, where the strip or tape is relatively narrow, a single bushing can be used, but

in most cases, two or even more bushings may be use 2; fu1l-y;employed,-..sincembviously theaweight of :the roll, .or of any superposed; roll ein --a,-.p lural .rollshipping container, will depend upon thezwidthiofiits face, ,i.e.-,, ,thezwidthtof thetapeorstrip intheroll:

lttwill befoundthatdt 'is usually; desirable. to employ two. bushings per:roll,;inserted =int-the opposite ends ,of the aperture or eye of the roll;

In 'the drawings: accompanying thisapplication:

FIGURE 1 illustrates at roll of the type described, havingga centralaperture reinforced byaa: pair of bushings, the roll being, shown. partly-in; section;

FIGURE 2 is a side view taken in the directionof the arrows 2-2 .01? FIGURE 1;

FIGURE-'3 is an enlarged;sectionitaken ontthe line 3-3 of FIGURE 2,;v FIGURE :4 is-tan enlarged, fragmentary viewof FIG.- URE 3; 7

FIGURE. 5tis-;an.=enlarged .view of azmodification of the ,arrangemen-tlshown in.FIG.URES.-l; to 4, the ratio of the diameterv ofrthe bushing, compared withthe diameter of.-its spindlebeing substantiallyrgreater than in the. case of the bushing shown ;:in FIGURES. 1. to 4;

FIGURE-6 isv a viewsimilar. tOpFIGUREfi, but showing the bushing in section; and 7 FIGURE 7 is; a fragmentary sideview, notenlarged, of the modified-,formof bushing shownin- FIGURE. 6.

Referring now to the drawings, it will beseen that the roll in this instance is astrip ofgummed tape, convolutely wound into the form ofacylinder '10.. Asseen in, the drawings, theinside diameter. or: bore 12,.of the roll is substantially-larger in; diameter than-the diameter of the dispenser-spindle 13. 1

In the-present instance, the, reinforcing means:used.-to prevent *thes'squashing of the roll by diametrically-applied pressure comprises a pair. of thimbles -or bushings 1-4. inserted in opposite ends of the roll. These bushings can be identical and therefore, only one need be described.

As shown best in FIGURE 3, the reinforcing thimble or bushing 14 may be made out of one piece of fairly thin sheet metal, such as steel, and is formed up into the desired shape by means of suitable dies or other means of a conventional character which need not be described herein in detail. It will be observed that the resistance of the bushing to distortion by diametrically applied pressure is in part supplied by the flat, annular, washer-like outer end 15 of the bushing which is in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the roll. Said annular outer end 15 is apertured, the lip around the aperture being formed to provide a curved, internally extending, flaring flange 16. the internal diameter of the extremity of which is slightly larger than the diameter of the spindle 13 which is intended to fit within the bushing. As shown in FIGURE 3, the outer end 18 of the flange 16 will supply a more or less line contact bearing for the spindle 13.

The periphery of the washer 15 is reverted inwardly as shown at 19 to form a reinforcing fold 20 of a diameter so as to fit snugly within the bore 12 of the roll. Then the fold 19 is again reverted outwardly and inwardly to form a circular, V-shaped rib 21, also of a diameter which will fit snugly within the diameter of the roll and thereby provide further reinforcement.

Inwardly of the rim 21, the bushing is extended in the form of a cylinder 22, which has a diameter less than the diameter of the rol1,but substantially greater than the diameter of the spindle 13. The inner end of the cylinder formation 22 is reverted back upon itself, as shown at 23 in order to provide an outwardly flaring, circular barb 24, the outside edge of which has a slightly larger diameter than the interior diameter of the roll. The folded end 25 of the cylinder 22 is small enough so that it can be readily inserted into the bore 12 of the roll, and when it is pushed inwardly by pressure applied to the outer annular face 15 of the bushing, the periphery of the circular I one end with an external annular flange portions which is respective one into the ends of the bore 12, so that when i the spindle -13 is later inserted into the roll by the consurner or user, the outer ends of the internal flanges 16 of the bushings will serve as spaced bearings'or journals on which the roll may rotate, or according to the requirements, the spindle 13 may be fitted tightly within the bushing and fitted'with its own bearings upon'which it may rotate;

In FIGURES 5, 6 and 7, there is shown a bushing which differs slightly from'the bushing shown in FIGURES 1-4 inclcusive, in that the annular washer 27 of the bushing is relatively wider diametrically than in the case of the bushing first described. Also, for purposes of strength and also to resist distortion, the said washer portion 27 is made with an internal extending rib or corrugation 28. Also, the inwardly extending flange 29 at the eye of the bushing may be cylindrical instead of flaring in cross section. However, in other respects, there is no important structural diflerence between this modification and the bushing previously described.

Various of the features of the invention believed to be -novel are set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a cylindrical roll of flexible material which is wound upon itself to provide acylindrical channel extending through the center of the roll, a bushing for use 'as a re-en-forcing insert in the coreless roll and which is adapted to fit entirely within the end of the channel of the roll, said bushing comprising a generally cylindrical metal shell having a central portion with an outer diameter less than the inner diameter of the channel and provided at reversely bent in outwardly flared relation to said central portion of said shell, and said shell being provided at its other end with a plurality of circumferential ribs having an outer diameter which is substantially the same as the inner diameter of the channel, the outer edgesof said ribs defining a supporting surface adapted to contact the inner surface of the channel so as to supportthe' walls of the channel, each of said ribs being formed from adjacent sections of said shell which are folded back upon one another in a direction generally transverse to the axis of said shell, each of said ribs having sides in substantially 'face-to-face contact and sides of adjacent ribs being in substantially face-to-face contact, and said bushing terminating at said other end in an annularflange portion extending transversely of the axis of said shell and presenting an axial opening through said shell, said flange portion comprising a side of one of said ribs.

2. A bushing having the features set forth in claim 1, in which the annular flange portion which presents the axial opening through the shell additionallyhas its inner edge bent so as to extend toward said one end to provide said axial opening with a bearing surface.

- A bushinghaving the features set forth in claim 1, in which the annular flange portion which presents the axial opening through the shell additionally is bent intermediate its inner and outer edges to provide it with a generally circular reinforcing rib.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 789,609 Great Britain Jan. 22, 1958 i n w W, 

